English

THE SEVEN RAVENS THERE was once a man who had seven sons, but never a daughter no matter how much he wished for one. At length, his wife had a child, and it was a daughter. The joy was great. But the child was sickly and small, and so weak that it had to be baptized at once. The father sent one of the boys in a hurry to the spring, to fetch water for the baptism. The other six boys ran along with him. And as each strove to be the first to fill the jug, it fell into the spring. There they stood, and did not know what to do.

CLEVER ELSIE THERE was once a man who had a daughter who was called Clever Elsie. And when she had grown up her father said, “We will get her married.” “Yes,” said the mother, “if only any one would come who would have her.” At length a man came from a distance, and wooed her, who was called Hans.

LITTLE RED-CAP ONCE upon a time, there was a sweet little girl, who was loved by every one who looked at her, and most of all by her Grandmother. There was nothing that she would not have given the child! Once she gave her a little cap of red velvet, which suited her so well that she would not wear anything else. So she was always called Little Red-Cap. One day, her Mother said to her, “Come, Little Red-Cap, here is a piece of cake and a bottle of wine. Take them to your Grandmother. She is ill and weak, and they will do her good. Set out before it gets hot. Walk nicely and quietly.

There was a knock at the door, and Hazel just knew it would be her best friend Rahul. He was always early. It was December 31st, and Hazel and her Aunt Lo had spent the whole day cleaning the house from top to bottom. One year ago, Hazel and her family had all moved, from Trinidad and Tobago, the southernmost island nation in the Caribbean, to New York City. And now, her new friends were coming over for their first New Year's Eve sleepover, and she was beyond excited.